u/Victoria1026

I've been working in finance/accounting in London for about three years now, and there's one thing I've genuinely been curious about.

From what I've observed, some of the people who come across as quite difficult, blunt or not particularly easy to work with seem to get promoted relatively quickly, even after only a few years. On the other hand, I've also met genuinely kind, approachable people who've been accountants for 10+ years and have never moved into management.

I know years of experience alone don't entitle anyone to a promotion, and I've seen plenty of younger people who absolutely deserved to become managers.

What I'm really trying to understand is: what actually separates someone who becomes a Finance Manager, Head of Finance, etc., from someone who remains an accountant for their entire career?

Beyond technical ability, what qualities or behaviours do companies actually look for when promoting people into leadership roles? I'd love to hear from people who've been involved in promotion decisions.

I’m 25 and I've been working in finance/accounting in London for about three years now, and there's one thing I've genuinely been curious about.

From what I've observed, some of the people who come across as quite difficult, blunt or not particularly easy to work with seem to get promoted relatively quickly, even after only a few years. On the other hand, I've also met genuinely kind, approachable people who've been accountants for 10+ years and have never moved into management.

I know years of experience alone don't entitle anyone to a promotion, and I've seen plenty of younger people who absolutely deserved to become managers.

What I'm really trying to understand is: what actually separates someone who becomes a Finance Manager, Head of Finance, etc., from someone who remains an accountant for their entire career?

Beyond technical ability, what qualities or behaviours do companies actually look for when promoting people into leadership roles? I'd love to hear from people who've been involved in promotion decisions.

I’m asking this on behalf of my boyfriend because I’m genuinely a bit confused by how different our experiences with recruiters have been.

He’s worked at a large but foreign-owned commercial bank in London for around 7 years, including the last 3 years in Credit Risk Management. He has a bachelor’s degree and is a British citizen （he has a ‘foreign name’ though) so he doesn’t need visa sponsorship which clearly stated in CV.

He’s looking to move jobs but stay in same sector and over the past week has submitted his CV to around 30+ recruitment agencies specialised in credit risks in London, mostly through their websites.

So far, literally nobody has contacted him.
What I find strange is that my own experience is completely different. I only have around 3 years’ experience in audit since graduating, but I get approached by recruiters on LinkedIn all the time, without even actively looking for a job.

Obviously we work in different areas, so I know it’s not a direct comparison. But I’m surprised that someone with 7 years’ banking experience, can send his CV to that many recruiters and get absolutely nothing back.

Is the London credit risk job market particularly quiet at the moment? Or is submitting a CV through recruitment agency websites basically pointless?
Would he be better off approaching individual recruiters directly on LinkedIn or just applying for specific roles?

I’m asking this on behalf of my boyfriend because I’m genuinely a bit confused by how different our experiences with recruiters have been.

He’s worked at a large but foreign-owned commercial bank in London for around 7 years, including the last 3 years in Credit Risk Management. He has a bachelor’s degree and is a British citizen （he has a ‘foreign name’ though) so he doesn’t need visa sponsorship which clearly stated in CV.

He’s looking to move jobs but stay in same sector and over the past week has submitted his CV to around 30+ recruitment agencies specialised in credit risks in London, mostly through their websites.

So far, literally nobody has contacted him.
What I find strange is that my own experience is completely different. I only have around 3 years’ experience in audit since graduating, but I get approached by recruiters on LinkedIn all the time, without even actively looking for a job.

Obviously we work in different areas, so I know it’s not a direct comparison. But I’m surprised that someone with 7 years’ banking experience, can send his CV to that many recruiters and get absolutely nothing back.

Is the London credit risk job market particularly quiet at the moment? Or is submitting a CV through recruitment agency websites basically pointless?
Would he be better off approaching individual recruiters directly on LinkedIn or just applying for specific roles?